BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Beverage dispensers are known that incorporate a tower structure which extends upwardly above a counter top surface and is connected to a plurality of beverage lines emanating from a beverage line cooling source, such as a cold plate. A tower is typically made of a stainless steel wrap and includes a plurality of beverage valves connected to a front face surface thereof.
Such beverage dispensers can be manufactured with any of a plurality of valves, typically between four and eight such valves. Heretofore, each tower type beverage dispenser is manufactured to the particular number of valves required. Unfortunately, such beverage dispensing units have very little in the way of interchangeable parts, save for the beverage dispensing valves themselves. Thus, a five valve unit is uniquely manufactured and shares very few parts in common with the six-valve unit. In particular, the specific and significant parts such as the cold plate and the tower have to be uniquely and individually designed for that particular number of desired valves. In addition, there exists a substantial problem with heat loss and leakage associated with the portion of the beverage lines that extend within the tower, especially where those line are plastic tubing. Moreover, current beverage towers involve a substantial amount of labor in their manufacture.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to have a beverage dispensing device wherein, greater part interchangeability is provided for, and wherein the performance thereof and ease of manufacture are enhanced.